


In the rubble

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Bombing, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Search and Rescue, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 15:40:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Peter volunteers as a SAR Team. He is called in to help find survivors when a slave center is bombed.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the lightning round #49 at collar corner, prompt by leesa_perrie, for the prompt Neal & Satchmo - Search & Rescue

 

Peter´s smartphone gives a high pitched alarm sound. Peter is immediately alert, it is his SAR alarm.

“Burke.”

“Peter, we have a bombing at the Wellington Slave Center, we need search and Rescue teams, are you available?”

“Yes, I am on my way.”

Peter whistles to Satchmo while calling El to tell her he will be out on a mission. She tells him to be careful and to go save some lives.

Satchmo is already whining at the door while Peter packs their stuff, water and food for Satchmo and some power bars for himself. He puts on his gear and then walks to Satchmo to put on his harness that identifies him as a SAR dog. He loads Satchmo and his gear into the car and they are off.

 

* *  *

 

When they arrive at the slave center, there is total chaos. Firefighters, ambulances and police are doing their best to control the situation, and to keep bystanders away. Peter clips the leash on Satchmo´s collar and they report to the firefighter chief. He is told they have to wait since the building is not stable yet. Firefighters and a couple of scaffolding workers are trying to stabilize parts of the building so it will be safe to enter and look for victims.

After approximately an hour, they get the green light to enter the building. Three more teams have reported in and they divided the building in four parts. Peter and Satchmo take the most north part. Once they enter the building, there is a sort of eerie lack of sound. Outside, there was noise, shouting, sirens, but here it is quiet.

“Go boy.”

Satchmo starts sniffing the area and walks in larger circles. He is a SAR dog, so he is only trained to search for living victims. Peter is carefully studying Satchmo. He is the one that needs to be aware of the dogs behavior and to make sure he and his dog are safe.

In the first hour they retrieve three slaves and one employee. They are taking care of by the firefighters and EMT´s. They take a break after that. Peter makes sure that Satchmo drinks his fill of water and gives him a snack for work well done. He is handed a cup of coffee by a red cross worker and nods gratefully.

The fire chief tells them there are still six slaves and two employees missing. So they start up again, it is getting dark which makes the searching more difficult but after two hours Satchmo suddenly come back towards Peter and sits down, giving one bark. He has found someone.

“Good boy, Satchmo, show me.”

The dog takes off again and starts digging in the rubble. Peter calls out on the radio that he needs assistance and starts digging.

“My name is Peter and this is my dog Satchmo, we are going to get you out, OK. Just bear with us.”

The only sound is a whimper, meaning the person is still alive. It takes them a while to uncover a man, clearly a slave, since he is wearing a collar. He is barely conscious, but Peter has been talking to him all the time they worked, explaining what they were doing. The moment the man´s face and upper body comes into view, Satchmo lays down next to the man, giving him some of his body heat.

It is clear that the man is seriously injured, Peter can see by his labored breathing that he probably has some broken ribs, perhaps even a collapsed lung, his arm is definitely broken, and his face is bloody from a gash on the side of his head. When Peter tries to feel for his heartbeat, the man moans and his eyes open. They are the most beautiful blue eyes, Peter has seen, apart from El´s. He reassures the man, that he is safe and that they will take care of him. But it is clear the man is not really lucid and soon he loses consciousness again. Together with the three firefighters he unearths the slave from under the debris and carries him on a backboard towards an ambulance.

The man opens his eyes again and looks back at Peter. He tries to say something, but it only results in him coughing, making him gasp for breath.

“Don´t talk. Let them take care of you.” He smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture.

“We are taking him to Snels Slave Hospital.” The EMT tells Peter who nods.

“They are going to take good care of you.”

 

* *  *

 

“So, you saved some lives today?” El asks when he enters the house. The scent of a nice home cooked diner greets him.

“Yes, we saved all but three people. They probably died in the initial bombing.”

“I followed it on the news, I saw you and Satchmo.”

El puts a bowl with kibble down for Satchmo and gives him a good rub. She then brings Peter his dinner and gives him a long kiss.

“I am proud of you boys.” She beams.

 

* *  *

 

Peter walks into the hospital and asks where he can find Neal Caffrey. The clerk checks the computer and tells him that he is in room 245.

Peter walks up to the room and enters it, he also visited the other victims. He made it a habit once he joined the SAR team to go see the people he rescued once they are in a more normal environment.

The door is open and he slowly walks in. Neal seems to be asleep, his left leg is in traction, his broken arm is in a cast, elevated by a pillow. The side of his head is shaven and Peter can see the gash is sutured. The visible parts of his body mar bruises and scrapes. He looks terrible.

Neal startles by the sound of him entering and Peter is quick to apologize.

“You were there.” Neal says.

“Yes, I was part of the SAR team, together with my dog.”

“A yellow lab, right?”

Peter nods with a big smile, he extends his hand and introduces himself.

“Peter Burke.”

“Neal Caffrey. But you probably know that already.”

“Yeah, I was informed by the slave center.”

“Well, thank you for saving my live.”

“You are welcome. So how are you?”

“I´m fine.”

“Hate to tell you, but you don´t look fine.”

“I can´t pull of the _nearly killed in a bombed building_ -look?” Neal smirks.

Peter laughs, the slave has humor, he likes him, he is not like other slaves he met.

“Is that for me?” Neal asks, pointing to the bag, Peter put down on the night stand.

“Oh yeah.” Peter takes out the box of cookies.

Neal looks with big eyes. “They are for me?”

“Yeah, my wife made them herself, but I can tell you, she makes good cookies.” Peter opens the box and holds it open to Neal, who quickly lets his eyes shift towards the open door behind Peter and then snatches one out of the box, stuffing it in his mouth.

“You might want to slow that down, buddy, before you choke.”

“We are not allowed to eat sweets.” Neal wishers.

Peter nods, he should have thought about that.

“Well, why don´t I put it behind your pillow or do you have a better place to hide it?”

Neal sadly shakes his head.

“Tell you what, I will bring you more in a couple of days.”

“You would do that?”

“Sure. Now rest, I will be back.”

 

* *  *

 

“So what are you telling me? You are going to put him down?” Peter raises his voice in outrage.

“No of course not, but be realistic Peter, who will buy a slave that is crippled?”

“My wife and I will.”

“Peter, seriously.”

“No, I mean it. We will buy Neal.”

“Peter, he needs medical attention, he…”

“What? We can give him that. We will buy him.”

“You wife will have to come over, since you both will have to sign for him.”

“Take care of the paperwork. I will be back with my wife to pick Neal up before closing of business.”

The woman at the slave center sighs and tells Peter she will take care of the paperwork and that Neal will be ready to be turned into his ownership by the time he is back.

Peter drives home and tells El to get dressed because they are going to pick up Neal. Elizabeth smiles and kisses her husband. She already knew that Peter had a thing for this slave. And she totally agrees that Neal shouldn´t pay the price for this bombing by some activists.

She hands Peter a box and he carefully opens it, it is a black leather collar with a tag that says ‘Property of Peter Burke’. He looks up and kisses his wife. He remembers again why he married her.

“let´s go and buy ourselves a slave.”

 

* *  *

 

 

“Neal, your new owners are here.”

Peter can see Neal trying to turn around to see them. He is sitting in a wheel chair.

“Hey Neal. Meet my wife Elizabeth.”

“Good evening Mistress.” Neal says a bit shyly.

“Hi Neal, I heard a lot about you from Peter. Are you ready to come home with us?”

Neal smiles brightly.

“Yes… Yes, I am.”


End file.
